US, China clash over fentanyl, tariffs at global drugs meeting ahead of Trump-Xi summit

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 2 min read 100% complete by ReutersMarch 9, 2026 at 06:00 PM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

At a UN drug meeting in Vienna, the US and China clashed over fentanyl and trade issues. The US accused China of failing to prevent the sale of fentanyl precursor chemicals, while China refuted the claim and criticized the US as irresponsible. This exchange highlights ongoing tensions between the two nations regarding illicit drugs and tariffs, ahead of a planned meeting between President Trump and President Xi. The US official stated that China's weak export controls enable the chemical industry to support drug cartels, while its control over rare earth minerals harms legitimate industries. This follows a previous agreement where the US reduced tariffs in exchange for China cracking down on fentanyl, resuming soybean purchases, and maintaining rare earth exports.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

South Korea 30% Vienna 40% White House Office of National Drug Control Policy 50% Sara Carter 50% UN ×260% Xi Jinping ×360% Donald Trump ×470% Fentanyl ×680% United States ×690% China ×990%

Keywords

fentanyl 100% us-china relations 90% tariffs 80% drug control 70% precursor chemicals 60% trade agreement 50% un 50% rare earth minerals 40% summit 40%